BJP to hold welcome rallies for Murmu to sway 109 Lok Sabha seats
The BJP is contemplating to hold mega welcome programs across the country particularly in the tribal dominated states for the President, Draupadi Murmu as part of its tribal outreach program. While the immediate focus would be four major poll bound states of Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Murmu will be given rousing reception in her home state of Odisha and neighbouring Jharkhand too. The celebrations will begin from day soon and may continue until the Lok Sabha polls in 2024. There are 109 Lok Sabha constituencies spread over 12 states including West Bengal, North East and North India.
The BJP's Scheduled Tribes Morcha is already planning “Abhinandan Yatras” (Welcome rallies) to encash politically installing India's first tribal woman President. It did not do so in 2017 when Ramnath Kovind and M Venkaiah Naidu were elected as President and Vice President respectively. But Murmu is on a different pedestal and may help the BJP cross 350 Lok Sabha seats mark. The party managers are taking full precautions not to send a signal either that they are misusing the office of the President for political gains. The ST morcha will hold welcome rallies across India. A model is being evolved as to how the President, Murmu may grace the welcome functions. Gujarat has a tribal population of around 15 per cent with 27 Assembly seats while Chhattisgarh has 30% votes with 29 seats. If MP has 21% and 47 seats, Rajasthan has 14% votes with 25 seats. The BJP approached all tribal Mps and MLAs, irrespective of parties, to solicit support for Murmu and cross-voting was also witnessed. Droupadi Murmu hails from Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district where BJP has already decimated the Congress to emerge as principal Opposition party.
